RADIO
Joe Musgrove Returns to the Mound in Game 1 of Wild-Card Series
San Diego Padres right-hander Joe Musgrove made his return to the big-league mound in his team's 8-0 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday. The 33-year-old worked around two hits and a walk to pitch a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts. Musgrove missed the entire 2025 and 2026 regular seasons due to elbow surgery and numerous health-related setbacks. However, San Diego activated him from the 60-day injured list on Tuesday and included him on their roster for the Wild Card Series. Musgrove's usage out of the bullpen in a blowout indicates that San Diego may not be eager to thrust him into high-leverage situations just yet. Still, the veteran may end up playing a significant role for the Padres if San Diego can make a deep playoff push.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Maryland's Chris Durr Jr. Has Low Floor In Week 5
Maryland wide receiver Chris Durr Jr. has a terrifying Week 5 fantasy matchup in Big Ten foe Nebraska. Durr ranks among the top 15 wide receivers in fantasy points this season with 69.7. The junior transferred from Wyoming to Maryland this season and is on pace for his best collegiate season. He has hauled in 35 of his 48 targets for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Durr is dominating the Terrapins' targets with a 30% target share; however, he has only 6.3 ADOT and has operated in the slot 88.4% of his snaps. Maryland welcomes the Nebraska Cornhuskers to town Saturday in what should be Durr's toughest test of the season thus far. The Cornhuskers allow only 143 passing yards per game, which ranks seventh in the country. RotoBaller ranks Durr as WR27 for Week 5, and fantasy owners should view him as a low-end flex option.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Marvin Harrison Jr. Drawing Trade Interest Ahead of Deadline
Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is drawing interest around the league as teams monitor whether he could become available before the trade deadline, according to ESPN. The report says Harrison would have a market, though one team estimated his value at around a quality Day 3 pick. Harrison has struggled to carve out much of a role so far this season, catching only four passes for 73 yards on nine targets through three games. He did see a little more work against San Francisco on Sunday, finishing with three catches for 40 yards on five targets. Trey McBride and Michael Wilson have been much busier in Arizona's passing game, combining for 65 targets through three weeks. Harrison remains with the Cardinals for now, but his situation is one to watch as the deadline gets closer.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Manny Machado Powers Padres to Game 1 Victory on Tuesday
San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado helped lead his team to an 8-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two RBI, and two runs scored. Machado battled through a bit of a slump at the plate to end the regular season, hitting just .200 across 99 plate appearances in September. The 34-year-old's overall numbers were also below his usual standard, as he hit just .217/.303/.407 in 677 trips to the plate. Still, Machado remained an excellent run producer, slugging 30 home runs and logging 91 RBI. The veteran also has plenty of experience in the playoffs, as he's hit 13 home runs across 222 career postseason plate appearances. Machado could be a player to watch in Game 2 on Wednesday, as he's hit .360 with two home runs in 25 career plate appearances against Cubs starting pitcher Kevin Gausman.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
Fernando Tatis Jr. Stars in Padres Game 1 Win on Tuesday
San Diego Padres outfielder/second baseman Fernando Tatis Jr. was one of the stars of his team's 8-0 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series on Tuesday night. The 27-year-old went two-for-three with a solo home run, a walk, and two additional runs scored. Tatis Jr. set the tone by homering on the first pitch thrown by Cubs starter Matthew Boyd. Tatis Jr.'s big night was a continuation of his hot finish to the regular season, as he hit .337 with eight home runs across 104 plate appearances in September. Tatis Jr. has also been remarkably productive in the postseason to this point in his career, hitting .333/.432/.746 with seven home runs, 13 RBI, 18 runs scored, and three stolen bases across 74 plate appearances in the playoffs. Tatis Jr. and the Padres will have a chance to advance to the National League Division Series on Wednesday night against Cubs right-hander Kevin Gausman.
Source: ESPN.com
Source: ESPN.com
DK Metcalf Finally Gives Fantasy Managers a Payoff
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf finally turned some of his early-season opportunity into fantasy production in Sunday's 30-27 win over Cincinnati. Metcalf caught three of five targets for 31 yards, with a six-yard touchdown in the third quarter giving him his first score of the season. He had drawn 19 targets over the first two games but managed only eight catches for 67 yards, so there had been plenty of involvement without much to show for it. The target total dipped against Cincinnati, but the offense around Metcalf looked much better. Aaron Rodgers threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns, while Pittsburgh finished with 411 total yards after struggling badly the week before. Metcalf still has only 98 receiving yards through three games, so this was not a full breakout. Still, the touchdown and a much healthier-looking passing attack give his fantasy value a needed push heading into Thursday night's matchup with Cleveland.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Rachaad White Won't Practice on Wednesday
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said that running back Rachaad White (shoulder) will not take part in practice on Wednesday, according to Tashan Reed of The Athletic. White had eight carries for 35 yards and caught a six-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Marcus Mariota in the Week 3 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, but he injured his shoulder in the process. The good news is that White was able to return to the game, so his injury does not appear to be too serious. The Commanders could be giving him a little extra rest before their trip to London this weekend to face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4. If White can return to practice on Thursday or Friday, he figures to have a decent shot at playing this week as the pass-catching backfield complement to Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Through his first three games with Washington, White has been efficient, carrying the ball 22 times for 100 yards (4.5 yards per carry) and catching all nine of his targets for 51 yards and a touchdown.
Source: The Athletic - Tashan Reed
Source: The Athletic - Tashan Reed
Gavin Freeman a High-Floor Flex Play Against ASU
Baylor wide receiver Gavin Freeman has a high floor in Week 5 against Arizona State. Freeman has been one of the best target earners at wide receiver this season with 48 targets. However, he has yet to turn that into elite fantasy production as he is the WR19 on the season. Of his 48 targets, Freeman has hauled in 35 of them for a 72.9% catch rate, 364 yards, and two touchdowns. The transfer senior is setting a career high ADOT of 9.3 yards per target which is abnormal considering he has lined up as the slot wide receiver 96.8% of the time for Baylor. Arizona State has been one of the better pass defenses in the country this season allowing only 161.3 yards per game. Freeman is ranked as RotoBaller's WR41 for Week 5 and fantasy owners should view him as a high floor flex play.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Kevin Gausman Starting in Game 2 Versus Padres
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell said that right-hander Kevin Gausman will start Game 2 of the Wild-Card Series against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday at Petco Park, according to Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic. Gausman has been cleared to make the start after injuring his left (non-throwing) shoulder while diving to make a play at third base in his final regular-season start last week, and he will be tasked with helping the Cubs avoid elimination in the three-game series after they lost 9-0 on Tuesday night in Game 1. The 35-year-old veteran and two-time All-Star went 9-12 overall in 2026 with a 4.51 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, and 184 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings pitched over his 32 starts with the Cubbies and Toronto Blue Jays. Gausman pitched slightly worse after being traded to Chicago at the early-August deadline, going 4-2 with a 4.83 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, and 57:11 K:BB in his nine starts covering 50 1/3 innings. His lone start against the Padres this year came with Toronto on July 12, when he gave up three earned runs in six innings for a no-decision with three walks and eight strikeouts.
Source: The Athletic - Sahadev Sharma
Source: The Athletic - Sahadev Sharma
Michael King Fantastic in Wild-Card Win Over Cubs
San Diego Padres right-hander Michael King was nearly flawless in the team's 8-0 win on Tuesday over the visiting Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of the Wild-Card Series at Petco Park. King threw seven shutout innings with only one hit allowed, three walks, and eight strikeouts to give the Friars a 1-0 lead in the short three-game series. The 31-year-old veteran did not allow a hit until the seventh inning, when infielder Nico Hoerner beat out a soft-hit ground ball down the line at third base. It was a masterful performance for King, who went 12-10 during the 2026 regular season with a 3.21 ERA (4.13 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP with 159 strikeouts and 70 walks in 185 innings pitched across his 32 starts in his third year in San Diego. If the Padres advance past Chicago in the Wild-Card Series, King's next start would likely come in Game 2 of the National League Division Series in Milwaukee against the Brewers on Sunday. Tuesday's strong performance was a nice bounce-back outing for King after he gave up five earned runs on six hits in four innings in his last regular-season start on Sept. 22 at the division-rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
Aaron Jones Sr. Taking Control of Minnesota's Backfield
Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. has seen his fantasy value climb quickly since Jordan Mason landed on injured reserve with a fractured thumb. Jones handled 23 carries for 105 yards in Week 2, then followed with 17 carries for 58 yards and five catches for 34 yards against Tampa Bay. That gives him 45 touches over the last two games after he opened the season with 12 carries. The Week 3 efficiency was modest, but the role was not. Jones also drew six targets after seeing no receiving work in the first two games, giving him another path to fantasy production while Mason remains sidelined. A knee issue limited Jones in practice last week, but he still handled 22 touches on Sunday. RotoBaller lists him as RB15 in its early Week 4 half-PPR rankings. Minnesota hosts Miami next, and Jones enters that matchup with a much clearer lead-back workload than he had at the start of the season.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Will Collin Dixon Finish Week 5 As a WR1?
Illinois wide receiver Collin Dixon has a great matchup against Purdue in Week 5. The senior wide receiver is having a breakout season and is currently the WR4 with 100 fantasy points. Dixon has hauled in 75% of his 40 targets for 430 yards and seven touchdowns. The 6'1 wideout has been much better at earning targets this season and is on pace to obliterate his previous career high of 55 targets in a season. Ohio State kept him in check in Week 4 with five receptions for 63 yards; however, he still earned 8 targets. In the three previous games, Dixon averaged a whopping 30.4 fantasy points per game. Purdue has been a below-average passing defense, allowing 246.5 yards per game. Dixon is ranked as RotoBaller's WR2 heading into Week 5, and he should dominate a weak Purdue defense.
Source: ESPN
Source: ESPN
Roman Anthony Leaves Early With Hand Injury on Tuesday
Boston Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony (hand) left Game 1 of the Wild-Card Series early on Tuesday night against the division-rival New York Yankees because his hand "flared on him" during a check swing, manager Chad Tracy told Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Before leaving the eventual 9-0 loss at Yankee Stadium, Anthony went 0-for-2 at the plate with two strikeouts as the designated hitter and leadoff hitter for Boston. He was replaced at DH by Andruw Monasterio. This is not what Red Sox fans want to hear, as Anthony missed almost four months during the regular season with an injury to the same hand/wrist. For now, we will consider him day-to-day and check back on Wednesday to see if he is back in the lineup for a must-win Game 2 of the Wild-Card Series against Yankees left-hander Max Fried. Anthony, a former top outfield prospect, only managed to play in 55 games in his first full season in the big leagues, and he hit .245 (52-for-212) with five home runs, 15 RBI, 24 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 242 plate appearances.
Source: Boston Herald - Gabrielle Starr
Source: Boston Herald - Gabrielle Starr
Stephan Jaeger Looking to Recapture Bank of Utah Success
Stephan Jaeger posted a T57 finish at the Biltmore Championship, carding rounds of 70-69-68-67. He looks to put together a stronger result at the Bank of Utah Championship, where he has previous finishes of runner-up in 2024 and T11 in 2025, both coming on the back of a very solid short game. This year, Jaeger ranks 77th in total strokes gained (+0.180 strokes per round), 24th around the greens (+0.259), and 41st in putting (+0.228). The areas where he has struggled are off the tee, where he ranks 126th (-0.243), on approach (98th, -0.064), and in driving accuracy (152nd). Despite those issues, his short game and strong course history make Jaeger a very intriguing play this week.
Source: PGA Tour
Source: PGA Tour
Chris Olave Re-Establishing Himself as a Fantasy WR1
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave has strengthened his fantasy value with another heavy-volume performance in Week 3. Olave caught nine of 13 targets for 107 yards against Las Vegas, giving him at least eight receptions and 86 receiving yards in all three games this season. He has already drawn 36 targets, turning them into 27 catches for 375 yards and one touchdown. The touchdown total is modest, but the workload has been anything but. Olave has led the Saints in targets every week, and Tyler Shough continues to look his way at a high rate regardless of game script. That combination of volume and production has pushed Olave back into the top tier at the position, with RotoBaller ranking him WR4 in its early Week 4 half-PPR rankings. New Orleans hosts Atlanta on Monday night, but the bigger fantasy takeaway is that Olave's role has been both large and remarkably consistent through the first three weeks.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
